Forest Fires in the Boreal Biome: Drivers and Effects on Humans and Ecosystem Processes

Dear Colleagues,

Observed and projected trends in weather variability suggest that future fire regimes in boreal forests may differ from those observed over the 20th century. Paleo- and dendrochronological reconstructions inform us about the range of variability of historic fire activity, although it is still challenging to reconstruct the full range of relevant features of fire regimes (e.g., spatial metrics and severity) and convert these reconstructions into the estimates of fire impacts on particular ecosystem functions, such as C dynamics and biodiversity. Separation of climatic vs. human signals in fire records, both modern and reconstructed, remains a subject of vivid debate. Equally intriguing is research aiming to quantify the role of fire suppression in shaping fire activity across geographical scales. Further, knowledge on the effect of fire activity and its cessation on ecosystem functions is much needed to inform forest management and policy makers.

We hope that the forthcoming Special Issue will touch upon all these topics, providing an important and timely contribution to the fields of fire ecology, fire management, and beyond.

We especially welcome submissions featuring studies conducted in the central and eastern sections of boreal Eurasia, a critical region in respect of its contribution to the global forest fire activity.

Dr. Igor Drobyshev
Guest Editor

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